It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

X

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meet all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York and State of New York on the 6th day of May, 2013.

THE UNIVERSAL INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS, INC.

By:

/s/ Arthur Lev

Arthur Lev

President and Principal Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signatures

Title

Date

(1)

Principal Executive Officer

President and Principal Executive Officer

By:

/s/ Arthur Lev

May 6, 2013

Arthur Lev

(2)

Principal Financial Officer

Principal Financial Officer

By:

/s/ Francis J. Smith

May 6, 2013

Francis J. Smith

(3)

Majority of the Directors

James F. Higgins

By:

/s/ Stefanie V. Chang Yu

May 6, 2013

Stefanie V. Chang Yu

Attorney-in-Fact

Frank L. Bowman

Michael F. Klein

Michael Bozic

Michael E. Nugent (Chairman)

Kathleen A. Dennis

W. Allen Reed

Dr. Manuel H. Johnson

Fergus Reid

Joseph J. Kearns

By:

/s/ Carl Frischling

May 6, 2013

Carl Frischling

Attorney-in-Fact

EXHIBIT INDEX

Index No.

Description of Exhibit

EX-101.INS

XBRL Instance Document

EX-101.SCH

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

EX-101.CAL

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase

EX-101.DEF

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase

EX-101.LAB

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase

EX-101.PRE

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase

EX-101.INS
2
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XBRL INSTANCE DOCUMENT
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Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) All Country World Index (ACWI) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets. The term "free float" represents the portion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by investors. The performance of the index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of net dividends. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in other investment companies (the "Acquired Funds"). The Portfolio's shareholders indirectly bear a pro rata portion of the expenses of the Acquired Funds in which the Portfolio invests. "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" in the table is an estimate of those expenses. The estimate is based upon the average allocation of the Portfolio's investments in the Acquired Funds and upon the actual total operating expenses of the Acquired Funds (including any current waivers and expense limitations) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. Actual Acquired Fund fees and expenses incurred by the Portfolio may vary with changes in the allocation of Portfolio assets among the Acquired Funds and with other events that directly affect the fees and expenses of the Acquired Funds. Since "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are not directly borne by the Portfolio, they are not reflected in the Portfolio's financial statements, with the result that the information presented in the table will differ from that presented in the Financial Highlights.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 0.60%. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least two years from the date of the Reorganization (defined herein) or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 0.70%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.25% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least two years from the date of the Reorganization (defined herein) or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") Emerging Markets Net Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure equity market performance of emerging markets. The term "free float" represents the portion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by investors. The MSCI Emerging Markets Net Index currently consists of 21 emerging market country indices. The performance of the Index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of net dividends. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.42%. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.47%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.30% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI") World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the global equity market performance of developed markets. The term "free float" represents the portion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by investors. The MSCI World Index currently consists of 24 developed market country indices. The performance of the Index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of net dividends. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.20%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.30% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Real Estate Index-Net Total Return to U.S. Investors is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to reflect the stock performance of companies engaged in specific aspects of the major real estate markets/regions of the developed world. The performance of the Index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of dividends. "Net Total Return to U.S. Investors" reflects a reduction in total returns after taking into account the withholding tax on dividends by certain foreign countries represented in the Index. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the global equity market performance of developed markets. The term "free float" represents the portion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by investors. The MSCI World Index currently consists of 24 developed market country indices. The performance of the Index is listed in U.S. dollars and assumes reinvestment of net dividends. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.40%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Russell 1000® Growth Index measures the performance of the large-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 1000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000® Index is an index of approximately 1,000 of the largest U.S. companies based on a combination of market capitalization and current index membership. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 0.85%. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.10%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Russell Midcap® Growth Index measures the performance of the mid-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell Midcap® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell Midcap® Index is a subset of the Russell 1000® Index and includes approximately 800 of the smallest securities in the Russell 1000® Index, which in turn consists of approximately 1,000 of the largest U.S. securities based on a combination of market capitalization and current index membership. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Adviser has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.05%. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Adviser has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.15%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.25% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Russell 2000® Growth Index measures the performance of the small-cap growth segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 2000® Index companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 2000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market capitalization and current index membership. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Adviser has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 1.25%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.30% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The FTSE NAREIT (National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts) Equity REITs Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index of tax qualified equity REITs listed on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and the NASDAQ National Market List. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Standard & Poor's 500® Index (S&P 500®) measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. equities market, covering approximately 75% of the U.S. equities market. The Index includes 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The FTSE NAREIT (National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts) Equity REITs Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index of tax qualified equity REITs listed on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and the NASDAQ National Market List. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. This fee waiver will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waiver when it deems such action is appropriate.The Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Index tracks the performance of U.S. government agency and Treasury securities, investment-grade corporate debt securities, agency mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 0.70%. The fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., has agreed to reduce its advisory fee and/or reimburse the Portfolio so that Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses, excluding certain investment related expenses, taxes, interest and other extraordinary expenses (including litigation), will not exceed 0.95%. In addition, the Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.10% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waivers and/or reimbursements when it deems such action is appropriate.The J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Global ("EMBG") Index tracks total returns for U.S. dollar-denominated debt instruments issued by emerging markets sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities: Brady bonds, loans, Eurobonds and local market instruments for over 30 emerging market countries. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Global ("EMBG") Index tracks total returns for U.S. dollar-denominated debt instruments issued by emerging markets sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities: Brady bonds, loans, Eurobonds and local market instruments for over 30 emerging market countries. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.The Portfolio's "Distributor," Morgan Stanley Distribution, Inc., has agreed to waive 0.30% of the 0.35% 12b-1 fee that it may receive. This fee waiver will continue for at least one year or until such time as the Fund's Board of Directors acts to discontinue all or a portion of such waiver when it deems such action is appropriate.UNIVERSAL INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS INC485BPOSfalse00010113782012-12-312013-04-112013-04-302013-04-30Global Tactical Asset Allocation PortfolioUIMPXPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class I) Commenced operations on January 2, 19970.27420.17390.11070.25130.1459-0.44620.32530.0568-0.03680.1384~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20003 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011764Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.26022009-06-30Low Quarter-0.21642008-09-30<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">26.02%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/08 - 09/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 21.64%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.1384-0.03190.07320.1613-0.01160.0811~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20004 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011764Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Return (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00750.00000.00970.00010.0173-0.01120.0061~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20001 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011764Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)"Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" in the table is an estimate of those expenses.Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>62195340762~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20002 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011764Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 105% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>1.05Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio seeks to achieve total return by investing in a blend of equity and fixed income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers. In seeking to achieve this investment objective, the Portfolio will implement a global tactical approach to achieving total return, and to control risk and volatility.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser will utilize a top-down investment approach that focuses on asset class, sector, region, country, and currency and thematic allocations. The Portfolio's allocations will be based upon the Adviser's evaluations and analyses, taking into account results of its fundamental market research and recommendations generated by the Adviser's quantitative models. The Adviser's research process focuses on three large macro factors across almost all asset classes: 1) valuation (both relative and absolute), 2) dynamics, including earnings revisions, interest rate policy and inflation expectations, and 3) technicals, such as liquidity and sentiment. The Portfolio may invest in any country, including developing or emerging market countries. The Portfolio's investments may be U.S. and non-U.S. dollar denominated. In determining whether to sell a security, the Adviser considers a number of factors, including changes in capital appreciation potential, or the overall assessment of asset class, sector, region, country, and currency and thematic allocation shifts.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and mortgage-related or mortgage-backed securities. The Portfolio may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in below "investment grade" fixed income securities (often referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds") and repurchase agreements. The Portfolio may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs").</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps, structured investments and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may also utilize forward foreign currency exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's exposure in the types of securities listed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to such securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks total return.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Fixed Income Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet</font> principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Mortgage Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in mortgage securities are subject to the risk that if interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected which may adversely affect the Portfolio's return. Rising interest rates tend to discourage refinancings, with the result that the average life and volatility of mortgage securities will increase and market price will decrease. Certain mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than other traditional types of debt securities. In addition, an unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to the Portfolio. Investments in mortgage-backed securities may give rise to a form of leverage and may cause the Portfolio's turnover rate to appear higher. Leverage may cause the Portfolio to be more volatile than if the Portfolio had not been leveraged.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>REITs.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in REITs exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs are organized and operated. Operating REITs requires specialized management skills and the Portfolio indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Portfolio. REITs are subject to certain provisions under federal tax law and the failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Portfolio.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>High Yield Securities ("Junk Bonds").</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in high yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies, and therefore they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities may experience reduced liquidity, and sudden and substantial decreases in price. An economic downturn affecting an issuer of high yield securities may result in an increased <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">incidence of default. In the event of a default, the Portfolio may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments in foreign countries generally will be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Liquidity.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in restricted and illiquid securities may entail greater risk than investments in publicly traded securities. These securities may be more difficult to sell, particularly in times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be more difficult to value. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>ETFs.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of ETFs have many of the same risks as direct investments in common stocks or bonds and their market value may differ from their NAV because the supply and demand in the market for ETF shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying securities. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Portfolio would bear its ratable share of that entity's expenses while continuing to pay its own investment management fees and other expenses. As a result, the Portfolio and its shareholders will, in effect, be absorbing duplicate levels of fees. Further, certain of the ETFs in which the Portfolio may invest are leveraged. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Leveraged ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Global Tactical Asset Allocation PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one year period and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on March 15, 20110.1370~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20009 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000097939Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.08282012-03-31Low Quarter-0.03012012-06-30<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">01/12 - 03/12</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">8.28%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/12 - 06/12</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 3.01%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.13700.04990.16130.04712011-03-152011-03-15~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20010 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000097939Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one year period and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00750.00350.00970.00010.0208-0.01370.0071~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20007 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000097939Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)"Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" in the table is an estimate of those expenses.Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:</font> </p>73227395883~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20008 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000097939Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004181Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 105% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>1.05Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio seeks to achieve total return by investing in a blend of equity and fixed income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers. In seeking to achieve this investment objective, the Portfolio will implement a global tactical approach to achieving total return, and to control risk and volatility.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser will utilize a top-down investment approach that focuses on asset class, sector, region, country, and currency and thematic allocations. The Portfolio's allocations will be based upon the Adviser's evaluations and analyses, taking into account results of its fundamental market research and recommendations generated by the Adviser's quantitative models. The Adviser's research process focuses on three large macro factors across almost all asset classes: 1) valuation (both relative and absolute), 2) dynamics, including earnings revisions, interest rate policy and inflation expectations, and 3) technicals, such as liquidity and sentiment. The Portfolio may invest in any country, including developing or emerging market countries. The Portfolio's investments may be U.S. and non-U.S. dollar denominated. In determining whether to sell a security, the <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Adviser considers a number of factors, including changes in capital appreciation potential, or the overall assessment of asset class, sector, region, country, and currency and thematic allocation shifts.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and mortgage-related or mortgage-backed securities. The Portfolio may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in below "investment grade" fixed income securities (often referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds") and repurchase agreements. The Portfolio may also invest up to 10% of its total assets in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs").</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps, structured investments and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may also utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's exposure in the types of securities listed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to such securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks total return.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Fixed Income Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Mortgage Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in mortgage securities are subject to the risk that if interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected which may adversely affect the Portfolio's return. Rising interest rates tend to discourage refinancings, with the result that the average life and volatility of mortgage securities will increase and market price will decrease. Certain mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than other traditional types of debt securities. In addition, an unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to the Portfolio. Investments in mortgage-backed securities may give rise to a form of leverage and may cause the Portfolio's turnover rate to appear higher. Leverage may cause the Portfolio to be more volatile than if the Portfolio had not been leveraged.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>REITs.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in REITs exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs are organized and operated. Operating REITs requires specialized management skills and the Portfolio indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Portfolio. REITs are subject to certain provisions under federal tax law and the failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Portfolio.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>High Yield Securities ("Junk Bonds").</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in high yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies, and therefore they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities may experience reduced liquidity, and sudden and substantial <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">decreases in price. An economic downturn affecting an issuer of high yield securities may result in an increased incidence of default. In the event of a default, the Portfolio may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments in foreign countries generally will be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Liquidity.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in restricted and illiquid securities may entail greater risk than investments in publicly traded securities. These securities may be more difficult to sell, particularly in times of <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be more difficult to value. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>ETFs.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of ETFs have many of the same risks as direct investments in common stocks or bonds and their market value may differ from their NAV because the supply and demand in the market for ETF shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying securities. As a shareholder in an ETF, the Portfolio would bear its ratable share of that entity's expenses while continuing to pay its own investment management fees and other expenses. As a result, the Portfolio and its shareholders will, in effect, be absorbing duplicate levels of fees. Further, certain of the ETFs in which the Portfolio may invest are leveraged. While leveraged ETFs may offer the potential for greater return, the potential for loss and the speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. Leveraged ETFs can deviate substantially from the performance of their underlying benchmark over longer periods of time, particularly in volatile periods.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Emerging Markets Equity PortfolioUEMEXPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class I) Commenced operations on October 1, 19960.49670.23110.33850.37140.4045-0.56620.69840.1902-0.18220.1995~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20015 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011754Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.35002009-06-30Low Quarter-0.29922008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">35.00%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211;29.92%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.1995-0.02970.15120.1822-0.00920.1652~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20016 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011754Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.01250.00000.00400.0165-0.00230.0142~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20013 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011754Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1454497761702~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20014 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011754Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.46Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio seeks to maximize returns by investing in growth-oriented equity securities in emerging markets.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The global strategists of the Adviser, and its sub-advisers, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited ("MSIM Limited") and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company ("MSIM Company" and together with MSIM Limited, the "Sub-Advisers"), analyze the global economic environment, particularly its impact on emerging markets, and allocate the Portfolio's assets among emerging markets based on relative economic, political and social fundamentals, stock valuations and investor sentiment.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in equity securities located in emerging market or developing countries. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in growth-oriented equity securities of issuers in emerging market countries.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Markets Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency for<font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">ward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font></font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Emerging Markets Equity PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one-year and five-year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on January 10, 20030.23000.33760.37170.4045-0.56740.70120.1894-0.18240.1984~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20021 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011753Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.35142009-06-30Low Quarter-0.30002008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">35.14%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211;30.00%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.1984-0.03020.14770.1822-0.00920.16142003-01-102003-01-10~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20022 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011753Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one-year and five-year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.01250.00350.00400.0200-0.00530.0147~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20019 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011753Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font><br /> </font> </p>1504658031757~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20020 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011753Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004175Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.46Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio seeks to maximize returns by investing in growth-oriented equity securities in emerging markets.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The global strategists of the Adviser and its sub-advisers, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited ("MSIM Limited") and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company ("MSIM Company" and together with MSIM Limited, the "Sub-Advisers"), analyze the global economic environment, particularly its impact on emerging markets, and allocate the Portfolio's assets among emerging markets based on relative economic, political and social fundamentals, stock valuations and investor sentiment.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in equity securities of issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font><br /> </font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in growth-oriented equity securities of issuers in emerging market countries.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Markets Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Global Franchise PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 5pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on April 30, 20030.12770.11980.21510.0978-0.28940.29560.14050.09050.1559~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20027 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011760Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004178Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.18072009-06-30Low Quarter-0.13362008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="35" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">18.07</font><font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="35" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 13.36</font><font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.15590.05770.11050.1583-0.01180.07412003-04-302003-04-30~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20028 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011760Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004178Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00800.00350.00420.0157-0.00370.0120~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20025 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011760Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004178Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1223816601455~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20026 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011760Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004178Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 21% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.21Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's "Sub-Advisers," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited ("MSIM Limited") and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company ("MSIM Company"), seek long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of issuers located throughout the world that they believe have, among other things, resilient business franchises and growth potential. Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests in securities of issuers from at least three different countries, which may include the United States.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Sub-Advisers rely on their research capabilities, analytical resources and judgment to identify and monitor franchise businesses meeting their investment criteria. The Sub-Advisers believe that the number of issuers with strong business franchises meeting their criteria may be limited and, accordingly, the Portfolio may concentrate its holdings in a relatively small number of companies and may invest up to 25% of its assets in a single issuer. The Portfolio may also invest in the equity securities of any size company. The Portfolio's equity investments may include convertible securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Sub-Advisers generally consider selling a portfolio holding when they determine that the holding no longer satisfies their investment criteria or that replacing the holding with another investment should improve the Portfolio's valuation and/or quality.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 5pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 5pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Equity Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and</font> sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 5pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Small Capitalization Companies.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in small capitalization companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by small capitalization companies may be less liquid and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 5pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Global Franchise Companies.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, government regulation and economic conditions may adversely affect global franchise companies and may negatively impact the Portfolio to a greater extent than if the Portfolio's assets were invested in a wider variety of companies.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 5pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Non-Diversification.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Global Real Estate PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on April 28, 2006-0.0847-0.44340.41420.2232-0.10150.2994~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20033 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000028284Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000010224Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.38622009-06-30Low Quarter-0.28912008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">38.62%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211;28.91%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.29940.02360.03610.28380.00710.02850.1583-0.01180.01752006-04-282006-04-282006-04-28~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20034 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000028284Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000010224Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Return (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00850.00350.00510.0171-0.00310.0140~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20031 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000028284Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000010224Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1434437661680~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20032 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000028284Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000010224Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.29Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in equity securities of companies in the real estate industry, including real estate operating companies ("REOCs"), real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and similar entities established outside the United States ("foreign real estate companies"). This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes. The equity securities in which the Portfolio may invest include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts, rights, warrants and limited partnership interests.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio will invest primarily in companies located in the developed countries of North America, Europe and Asia, but may also invest in emerging markets.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser and the Portfolio's "Sub-Advisers," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited ("MSIM Limited") and Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company ("MSIM Company"), actively manage the Portfolio using a combination of top-down and bottom-up methodologies. The Adviser's and Sub-Advisers' proprietary models drive the bottom-up value-driven approach for stock selection. The top-down portion seeks diversified exposure to all major asset classes with an overweighting to property markets that offer the best relative valuation. The bottom-up research process strongly influences the Adviser's and Sub-Advisers' perspective on which property markets they believe provide better relative value and growth prospects and, consequently, affects their decision to overweight or underweight a given region, sector and/or country. The Adviser and Sub-Advisers generally consider selling a portfolio holding if the holding's share price shifts to the point where the position no longer represents an attractive relative value opportunity versus the underlying value of its assets or versus other securities in the investment universe.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks to provide current income and capital appreciation.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>REITs, REOCs and Foreign Real Estate Companies.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in REITs, REOCs and foreign real estate companies exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs, REOCs and foreign real estate companies are organized and operated. Operating REITs and foreign real estate companies requires specialized management skills and the Portfolio indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Portfolio. REITs are also subject to certain provisions under federal tax law and the failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Portfolio. In addition, foreign real estate companies may be subject to the laws, rules and regulations governing those entities and their failure to comply with those laws, rules and regulations could negatively impact the performance of those entities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Growth PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class I) Commenced operations on January 2, 19970.24930.07770.15710.04110.2191-0.49190.65550.2286-0.02800.1438~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20039 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011757Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.21282009-06-30Low Quarter-0.28992008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">21.28%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 28.99%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.14380.02820.08550.15260.03120.0752~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20040 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011757Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00500.00000.00380.0088-0.00030.0085~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20037 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011757Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>872714711049~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20038 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011757Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 48% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.48Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective by investing primarily in established and emerging companies with market capitalizations of generally $10 billion or more.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting securities for investment, the Adviser seeks to invest in high quality companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to redeploy capital at high rates of return. The Adviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser generally considers selling an investment when it determines the company no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's equity investments may include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and equity-linked securities, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), limited partnership interests and other specialty securities having equity features. The Portfolio may invest in privately placed and restricted securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser may invest up to 25% of the Portfolio's net assets in foreign securities, including emerging market securities classified as American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") or Global Depositary Shares ("GDSs"), foreign U.S. dollar-denominated securities that are traded on a U.S. exchange or local shares of non-U.S. issuers.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in growth-oriented equity securities of large capitalization companies.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Privately Placed and Restricted Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Portfolio illiquidity to the extent the Portfolio may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for the Portfolio to sell certain securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Growth PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one- and five-year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on May 5, 20030.07430.15480.03810.2166-0.49350.65140.2261-0.03040.1405~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20045 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011758Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.21262009-06-30Low Quarter-0.29082008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">21.26%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 29.08%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.14050.02550.07850.15260.03120.06972003-05-052003-05-05~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20046 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011758Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one- and five-year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00500.00350.00380.0123-0.00130.0110~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20043 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011758Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font><br /> </font> </p>1123506061340~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20044 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011758Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004177Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 48% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.48Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective by investing primarily in established and emerging companies with market capitalizations of generally $10 billion or more.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting securities for investment, the Adviser seeks to invest in high quality companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to redeploy capital at high rates of return. The Adviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser generally considers selling an investment when it determines the company no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's equity investments may include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and equity-linked securities, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), limited partnership interests and other specialty securities having equity features. The Portfolio may invest in privately placed and restricted securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser may invest up to 25% of the Portfolio's net assets in foreign securities, including emerging market securities classified as American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") or Global Depositary Shares ("GDSs"), foreign U.S. dollar-denominated securities that are traded on a U.S. exchange or local shares of non-U.S. issuers.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in growth-oriented equity securities of large capitalization companies.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 8pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Privately Placed and Restricted Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Portfolio illiquidity to the extent the Portfolio may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for the Portfolio to sell certain securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Mid Cap Growth PortfolioUMGPXPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class I) Commenced operations on October 18, 19990.41760.21600.17570.09270.2267-0.46770.57660.3231-0.07120.0869~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20051 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011741Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.26092009-06-30Low Quarter-0.25992008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">26.09%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 25.99%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.08690.02310.11780.15810.03230.1032~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20052 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011741Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00750.00000.00310.0106-0.00010.0105~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20049 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011741Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the costs of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font><br /> </font> </p>1073345791283~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20050 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011741Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.29Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective by investing primarily in established and emerging companies from a universe comprised of mid cap companies, most with market capitalizations of generally less than $35 billion.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in common stocks of mid cap companies. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting securities for investment, the Adviser seeks to invest in high quality companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to redeploy capital at high rates of return. The Adviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser generally considers selling an investment when it determines the company no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's equity investments may include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and equity-linked securities, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), limited partnership interests and other specialty securities having equity features. The Portfolio may invest in privately placed and restricted securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser may invest up to 25% of the Portfolio's net assets in foreign securities, including emerging <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">market securities classified as American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") or Global Depositary Shares ("GDSs"), foreign U.S. dollar-denominated securities that are traded on a U.S. exchange or local shares of non-U.S. issuers.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital growth by investing primarily in common stocks and other equity securities.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Mid Cap Companies.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in mid cap companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by mid cap companies may be less liquid, and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing</font> interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Privately Placed and Restricted Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Portfolio illiquidity to the extent the Portfolio may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for the Portfolio to sell certain securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Mid Cap Growth PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on May 5, 20030.21480.17290.09140.2261-0.46820.57370.3227-0.07170.0849~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20057 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011740Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.26102009-06-30Low Quarter-0.26032008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="35" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">26.10</font><font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="35" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 26.03</font><font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.08490.02200.11020.15810.03230.09662003-05-052003-05-05~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20058 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011740Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00750.00350.00310.0141-0.00260.0115~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20055 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011740Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1173656331398~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20056 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011740Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004167Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.29Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective by investing primarily in established and emerging companies from a universe comprised of mid cap companies, most with market capitalizations of generally less than $35 billion.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in common stocks of mid cap companies. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting securities for investment, the Adviser seeks to invest in high quality companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to redeploy capital at high rates of return. The Adviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser generally considers selling an investment when it determines the company no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's equity investments may include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and equity-linked securities, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), limited partnership interests and other specialty securities having equity features.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest in privately placed and restricted securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser may invest up to 25% of the Portfolio's net assets in foreign securities, including emerging market securities classified as American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") or Global Depositary Shares ("GDSs"), foreign U.S. dollar-denominated securities that are traded on a U.S. exchange or local shares of non-U.S. issuers.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital growth by investing primarily in common stocks and other equity securities.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Mid Cap Companies.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in mid cap companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by mid cap companies may be less liquid, and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and</font>&#160;exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Privately Placed and Restricted Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Portfolio illiquidity to the extent the Portfolio may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for the Portfolio to sell certain securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Small Company Growth PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Year (Class II) Commenced operations on April 30, 20030.18950.12880.11840.0296-0.40430.46640.2656-0.08710.1471~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20063 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011744Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004169Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.24322009-06-30Low Quarter-0.21912008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">04/09 - 06/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="35" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">24.32</font><font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="35" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 21.91</font><font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.14710.02970.09660.14590.03490.09572003-04-302003-04-30~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20064 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011744Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004169Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one and five year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II shares' inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00920.00350.00780.0205-0.00800.0125~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20061 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011744Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004169Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1273976861511~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20062 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011744Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004169Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 22% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.22Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective by investing primarily in established and emerging companies from a universe comprised of small cap companies, most with market capitalizations of generally less than $4 billion.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the assets of the Portfolio will be invested in equity securities of small companies. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes. A company is considered to be a small cap company if it has a total market capitalization at the time of purchase of $4 billion or less.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting securities for investment, the Adviser seeks to invest in high quality companies it believes have sustainable competitive advantages and the ability to redeploy capital at high rates of return. The Adviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward. The Adviser generally considers selling an investment when it determines the company no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's equity investments may include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and equity-linked securities, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), limited partnership interests and other specialty securities having equity features. The Portfolio may invest in privately placed and restricted securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser may invest up to 25% of the Portfolio's net assets in foreign securities, including emerging market securities classified as American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") or Global Depositary Shares ("GDSs"), foreign U.S. <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">dollar-denominated securities that are traded on a U.S. exchange or local shares of non-U.S. issuers.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in growth-oriented equity securities of small companies.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. In addition, at times, growth-oriented equity securities of small companies may underperform relative to the overall market. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Small Capitalization Companies.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in small capitalization companies may involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities issued by small capitalization companies may be less liquid, and such companies may have more limited markets, financial resources and product lines, and may lack the depth of management of larger companies.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered</font> stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Privately Placed and Restricted Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments may also include privately placed securities, which are subject to resale restrictions. These securities will have the effect of increasing the level of Portfolio illiquidity to the extent the Portfolio may be unable to sell or transfer these securities due to restrictions on transfers or on the ability to find buyers interested in purchasing the securities. The illiquidity of the market, as well as the lack of publicly available information regarding these securities, may also adversely affect the ability to arrive at a fair value for certain securities at certain times and could make it difficult for the Portfolio to sell certain securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.US Real Estate PortfolioUUSRXPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Return-Calendar Years (Class I) Commenced operations on March 3, 19970.37510.36390.17050.3804-0.1707-0.37890.28360.29960.05920.1584~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20069 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011749Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.30302009-09-30Low Quarter-0.37802008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/09 - 09/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="8" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="35" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">30.30</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="20" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; white-space:nowrap"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="8"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="8" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="35" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 37.80</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="20" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; white-space:nowrap"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="8"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.15840.04910.12320.18060.05450.11630.16000.01660.0710~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20070 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011749Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class I shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Return (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00800.00000.00300.0110~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20067 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011749Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1123506061340~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20068 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011749Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.17Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes. The equity securities in which the Portfolio may invest include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts, rights, warrants and limited partnership interests.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., seeks a combination of above average current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). The Portfolio focuses on REITs as well as real estate operating companies ("REOCs") that invest in a variety of property types and regions.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser actively manages the Portfolio using a combination of top-down and bottom-up methodologies. The Adviser's proprietary models drive the bottom-up value-driven approach for stock selection. The top-down portion seeks diversified exposure to all major asset classes with an overweighting to property markets that offer the best relative valuation. The bottom-up research process strongly influences the Adviser's perspective on which property markets it believes provide better relative value and growth prospects and, consequently, affects its decision to overweight or underweight a given property market. The Adviser generally considers selling a portfolio holding if the holding's share price shifts to the point where the position no longer represents an attractive relative value opportunity versus the underlying value of its assets or versus other securities in the universe.</font> </p>Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry.Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks to provide above average current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Equity Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>REITs and REOCs.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in REITs and REOCs exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs and REOCs are organized and operated. Operating REITs requires specialized management skills and the Portfolio indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Portfolio. REITs are also subject to certain provisions under federal tax law and the failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Portfolio.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Non-Diversification.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.US Real Estate PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on November 5, 20020.37160.36070.16750.3767-0.1727-0.38050.28490.29530.05660.1562~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20075 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011748Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.30292009-09-30Low Quarter-0.37862008-12-31<table style="width: 100%;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;" colspan="3" align="left" valign="bottom" width="52"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><strong>High Quarter</strong></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;" colspan="3" align="left" valign="bottom" width="51"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/09 - 09/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;" colspan="1" valign="bottom" width="8"> &#160; </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;" colspan="1" align="right" valign="bottom" width="35"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">30.29</font> </p> </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;" colspan="1" align="left" valign="bottom" width="20"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; white-space: nowrap;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="8"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;" colspan="3" align="left" valign="bottom" width="52"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><strong>Low Quarter</strong></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;" colspan="3" align="left" valign="bottom" width="51"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;" colspan="1" valign="bottom" width="8"> &#160; </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;" colspan="1" align="right" valign="bottom" width="35"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211;37.86</font> </p> </td> <td style="padding: 0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;" colspan="1" align="left" valign="bottom" width="20"> <p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; white-space: nowrap;"> <font style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="8"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.15620.04720.12070.18060.05450.11630.16000.01660.0710~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20076 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011748Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's Class II shares' average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance, as well as a comparative sector index, over time. Average Annual Total Return (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00800.00350.00300.0145-0.00100.0135~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20073 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011748Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1374287391624~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20074 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011748Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004172Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.17Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the assets of the Portfolio will be invested in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes. The equity securities in which the Portfolio may invest include common and preferred stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts, rights, warrants and limited partnership interests.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., seeks a combination of above average current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). The Portfolio focuses on REITs as well as real estate operating companies ("REOCs") that invest in a variety of property types and regions.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser actively manages the Portfolio using a combination of top-down and bottom-up methodologies. The Adviser's proprietary models drive the bottom-up value-driven approach for stock selection. The top-down portion seeks diversified exposure to all major asset classes with an overweighting to property markets that offer the best relative valuation. The bottom-up research process strongly influences the Adviser's perspective on which property markets it believes provide better relative value and growth prospects and, consequently, affects its decision to overweight or underweight a given property market. The Adviser generally considers selling a portfolio holding if the holding's share price shifts to the point where the position no longer represents an attractive relative value opportunity versus the underlying value of its assets or versus other securities in the universe.</font> </p>Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry.Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks to provide above average current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in equity securities of companies in the U.S. real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Equity Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">In general, prices of equity securities are more volatile than those of fixed income securities. The prices of equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to activities specific to the issuer of the security as well as factors unrelated to the fundamental condition of the issuer, including general market, economic and political conditions. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying equity security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>REITs and REOCs.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in REITs and REOCs exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which REITs and REOCs are organized and operated. Operating REITs requires specialized management skills and the Portfolio indirectly bears management expenses along with the direct expenses of the Portfolio. REITs are also subject to certain provisions under federal tax law and the failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Portfolio.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Non-Diversification.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Core Plus Fixed Income PortfolioUFIPXPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-(Calendar Years) (Class I) Commenced operations on January 2, 19970.04640.04370.04210.03730.0546-0.10200.09640.07140.05650.0944~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20081 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011739Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.04642009-09-30Low Quarter-0.05492008-09-30<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/09 - 09/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">4.64%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/08 - 09/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 5.49%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.09440.04050.04270.04210.05950.0518~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20082 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011739Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.003750.00000.00370.0075-0.00050.0070~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20079 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011739Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>72224390871~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20080 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011739Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher</font> portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 245% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>2.45Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in fixed income securities. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes. The Adviser invests primarily in a diversified mix of U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade fixed income securities, particularly U.S. government, corporate, municipal, mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Portfolio will ordinarily seek to maintain an average weighted maturity between five and ten years.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser employs a value approach toward fixed income investing and evaluates the relative attractiveness among corporate, mortgage and U.S. government securities, and also may consider the relative attractiveness of non-dollar-denominated issues. The Adviser relies upon value measures to guide its decisions regarding sector, security and country selection, such as the relative attractiveness of the extra yield offered by securities other than those issued by the U.S. Treasury. The Adviser also measures various types of risk by monitoring interest rates, inflation, the shape of the yield curve, credit risk, prepayment risk, country risk and currency valuations. The Portfolio may engage in frequent trading to achieve its investment objective.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest opportunistically in fixed income securities that are rated below "investment grade" or are not rated, but are of equivalent quality. These fixed income securities are often referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds." High yield securities are fixed income securities rated below Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or below BBB by Standard &amp; Poor's Rating Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&amp;P"), or if unrated considered by the Adviser to be of equivalent quality. The Portfolio may also invest in public bank loans made by banks or other financial institutions. Public bank loans are privately negotiated loans that are not publicly traded for which information about the issuer has been made publicly available. These public bank loans may be rated investment grade or below investment grade. In addition, the Portfolio may invest in convertible securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's mortgage securities may include collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs"), commercial</font> mortgage-backed securities ("CMBS"), stripped mortgage-backed securities ("SMBS") and inverse floating rate obligations ("inverse floaters"). In addition, the Portfolio may invest in to-be-announced pass-through mortgage securities, which settle on a delayed delivery basis ("TBAs"). The Portfolio may also invest in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. The securities in which the Portfolio may invest may be denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars. The Portfolio may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks above-average total return over a market cycle of three to five years by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Fixed Income Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). The Portfolio is not limited as to the maturities of the securities in which it may invest. Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying security.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Municipal Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Municipal obligations may be general obligations or revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's full faith and credit as well as its taxing power for payment of principal or interest. Revenue bonds are payable solely from the revenues derived from a specified revenue source, and therefore involve the risk that the revenues so derived will not be sufficient to meet interest and/or principal payment obligations. Municipal securities involve the risk that an issuer may call securities for redemption, which could force the Portfolio to reinvest the proceeds at a lower rate of interest.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>High Yield Securities ("Junk Bonds").</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in high yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies, and therefore they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities may experience reduced liquidity, and sudden and substantial decreases in price. An economic downturn affecting an issuer of high yield securities may result in an increased incidence of default. In the event of a default, the Portfolio may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Public Bank Loans.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Certain public bank loans are illiquid, meaning the Portfolio may not be able to sell them quickly at a fair price. The secondary market for bank loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Bank loans are subject to the risk of default in the payment of interest or principal on a loan, which will result in a reduction of income to the Portfolio, and a potential decrease in the Portfolio's net asset value ("NAV"). The risk of default will increase in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase in interest rates. Because public bank loans usually rank lower in priority of payment to senior loans, they present a greater degree of investment risk. These bank loans may exhibit greater price volatility as well.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Mortgage Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in mortgage securities are subject to the risk that if interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected which may adversely affect the Portfolio's return. Rising interest rates tend to discourage refinancings, with the result that the average life and volatility of mortgage securities will increase and market price will decrease. Certain mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than other traditional types of debt securities. In addition, an unexpectedly <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to the Portfolio. Investments in TBAs may give rise to a form of leverage and may cause the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate to appear higher. Leverage may cause the Portfolio to be more volatile than if the Portfolio had not been leveraged.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Asset-Backed Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Asset-backed securities are subject to the risk that consumer laws, legal factors or economic factors may result in the collateral backing the securities being insufficient to support payment on the securities. Some asset-backed securities also entail prepayment risk, which may vary depending on the type of asset.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Liquidity.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in restricted and illiquid securities may entail greater risk than investments in publicly traded securities. These securities may be more difficult to sell, particularly in times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be more difficult to value. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Portfolio Turnover.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Consistent with its investment policies, the Portfolio will purchase and sell securities without regard to the effect on portfolio turnover. Higher portfolio turnover will cause the Portfolio to incur additional transaction costs.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Core Plus Fixed Income PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 7pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one-year and five-year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on May 1, 20030.04070.03930.03560.0522-0.10460.09380.06860.05400.0919~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20087 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011738Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.04542009-09-30Low Quarter-0.05532008-09-30<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/09 - 09/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">4.54%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/08 - 09/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 5.53%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.09190.03790.03920.04210.05950.05122003-05-012003-05-01~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20088 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011738Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one-year and five-year periods and since the Portfolio's Class II inception compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.003750.00350.00370.0110-0.00150.0095~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20085 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011738Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>973035251166~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20086 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011738Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004166Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 245% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>2.45Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in fixed income securities. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes. The Adviser invests primarily in a diversified mix of U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade fixed income securities, particularly U.S. government, corporate, municipal, mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Portfolio will ordinarily seek to maintain an average weighted maturity between five and ten years.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser employs a value approach toward fixed income investing and evaluates the relative attractiveness among corporate, mortgage and U.S. government securities, and also may consider the relative attractiveness of non-dollar-denominated issues. The Adviser relies upon value measures to guide its decisions regarding sector, security and country selection, such as the relative attractiveness of the extra yield offered by securities other than those issued by the U.S. Treasury. The Adviser also measures various types of risk by monitoring interest rates, inflation, the shape of the yield curve, credit risk, prepayment risk, country risk and currency valuations. The Portfolio may engage in frequent trading to achieve its investment objective.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may invest opportunistically in fixed income securities that are rated below "investment grade" or are not rated, but are of equivalent quality. These fixed income securities are often referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds." High yield securities are fixed income securities rated below Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or below BBB by Standard &amp; Poor's Rating Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&amp;P"), or if unrated considered by the Adviser to be of equivalent quality. The Portfolio may also invest in public bank loans made by banks or other financial institutions.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Public bank loans are privately negotiated loans that are not publicly traded for which information about the issuer has been made publicly available. These public bank loans may be rated investment grade or below investment grade. In addition, the Portfolio may invest in convertible securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's mortgage securities may include collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs"), commercial mortgage-backed securities ("CMBS"), stripped mortgage-backed securities ("SMBS") and inverse floating rate obligations ("inverse floaters"). In addition, the Portfolio may invest in to-be-announced pass-through mortgage securities, which settle on a delayed delivery basis ("TBAs"). The Portfolio may also invest in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. The securities in which the Portfolio may invest may be denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars. The Portfolio may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 3pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks above-average total return over a market cycle of three to five years by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Fixed Income Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). The Portfolio is not limited as to the maturities of the securities in which it may invest. Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled. To the extent that the Portfolio invests in convertible securities, and the convertible security's investment value is greater than its conversion value, its price will be likely to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. If the conversion value exceeds the investment value, the price of the convertible security will tend to fluctuate directly with the price of the underlying security.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Municipal Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Municipal obligations may be general obligations or revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's full faith and credit as well as its taxing power for payment of principal or interest. Revenue bonds are payable solely from the revenues derived from a specified revenue source, and therefore involve the risk that the revenues so derived will not be sufficient to meet interest and/or principal payment obligations. Municipal securities involve the risk that an issuer may call securities for redemption, which could force the Portfolio to reinvest the proceeds at a lower rate of interest.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>High Yield Securities ("Junk Bonds").</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in high yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies, and therefore they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities may experience reduced liquidity, and sudden and substantial decreases in price. An economic downturn affecting an issuer of high yield securities may result in an increased incidence of default. In the event of a default, the Portfolio may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Public Bank Loans.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Certain public bank loans are illiquid, meaning the Portfolio may not be able to sell them quickly at a fair price. The secondary market for bank loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. Bank loans are subject to the risk of default in the payment of interest or principal on a loan, which will result in a reduction of income to the Portfolio, and a potential decrease in the Portfolio's net asset value ("NAV"). The risk of default will increase in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase in interest rates. Because public bank loans <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">usually rank lower in priority of payment to senior loans, they present a greater degree of investment risk. These bank loans may exhibit greater price volatility as well.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Mortgage Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in mortgage securities are subject to the risk that if interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected which may adversely affect the Portfolio's return. Rising interest rates tend to discourage refinancings, with the result that the average life and volatility of mortgage securities will increase and market price will decrease. Certain mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than other traditional types of debt securities. In addition, an unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to the Portfolio. Investments in TBAs may give rise to a form of leverage and may cause the portfolio turnover rate to be higher. Leverage may cause the Portfolio to be more volatile than if the Portfolio had not been leveraged.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i></i></font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Asset-Backed Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Asset-backed securities are subject to the risk that consumer laws, legal factors or economic factors may result in the collateral backing the securities being insufficient to support payment on the securities. Some asset-backed securities also entail prepayment risk, which may vary depending on the type of asset.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Liquidity.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in restricted and illiquid securities may entail greater risk than investments in publicly traded securities. These securities may be more difficult to sell, particularly in times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be more difficult to value. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Portfolio Turnover.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Consistent with its investment policies, the Portfolio will purchase and sell securities without regard to the effect on portfolio turnover. Higher portfolio turnover will cause the Portfolio to incur additional transaction costs.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 7pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font><br /> </font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Emerging Markets Debt PortfolioUEMDXPerformance Information<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio's past performance is not <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font><br /> </font> </p>Annual Total Return-Calendar Years (Class I) Commenced operations on June 16, 19970.27860.10060.12250.10810.0655-0.14980.30210.09740.07030.1796~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20093 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011752Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.11492009-09-30Low Quarter-0.08742008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/09 - 09/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="8" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="32" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">11.49</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="20" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 2pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; white-space:nowrap"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="8"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="52" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="51" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="8" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="1" width="32" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 8.74</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="20" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 9pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt; white-space:nowrap"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1" width="8"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.17960.08930.11080.18540.10470.1156~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20094 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011752Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class I shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class I) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class I)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00750.00000.00300.0105~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20091 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011752Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1073345791283~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20092 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011752Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.39Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in debt securities of issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., seeks high total return by investing primarily in fixed income securities of government and government-related issuers and, to a lesser extent, of corporate issuers in emerging market or developing countries. The Portfolio's securities will be denominated primarily in U.S. dollars. The Portfolio may invest, to a lesser extent, in securities denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars. The Portfolio may invest in fixed income securities that are rated below "investment grade" or are not rated, but are of equivalent quality. These fixed income securities are often referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds." High yield securities are fixed income securities rated below Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or below BBB by Standard &amp; Poor's Rating Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&amp;P"), or if unrated considered by the Adviser to be of equivalent quality.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser implements a top down assessment of the global economic environment and the sensitivity of emerging economies in general to worldwide events. In selecting the Portfolio's investments, the Adviser analyzes the ability of an emerging market country's government to formulate and implement fiscal and economic policies; socio-political factors, including political risks, election calendars, human development and social stability; and exchange rate and interest rate valuation.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's holdings may range in maturity from overnight to 30 years or more and will not be subject to any minimum credit rating standard. The Adviser generally considers selling a portfolio holding when it determines that the holding no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps, structured investments <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. The Portfolio may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font><br /> </font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks high total return by investing primarily in fixed income securities of government and government-related issuers and, to a lesser extent, of corporate issuers in emerging market countries.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Fixed Income Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled. Investing in emerging markets intensifies risk, because lower quality fixed income securities are more volatile in price.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>High Yield Securities ("Junk Bonds").</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in high yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. Investing in emerging markets intensifies risk, because high yield securities may be more volatile in price in certain environments. High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies, and therefore they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities may experience reduced liquidity, and sudden and substantial decreases in price. An economic downturn affecting an issuer of high yield securities may result in an increased incidence of default. In the event of a default, the Portfolio may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs,</font> decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Liquidity.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in restricted and illiquid securities may entail greater risk than investments in publicly traded securities. These securities may be more difficult to sell, particularly in times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be more difficult to value. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Sovereign Debt Securities.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in sovereign debt securities will expose the Portfolio to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social or economic changes in the countries that issue the securities. The issuer or governmental authority that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able</font> to repay the principal and/or pay interest when it becomes due, due to factors such as debt service burden, political constraints, cash flow problems and other national economic factors. In addition, foreign governments may default on their debt securities, which may require holders of such securities to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments. Moreover, there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Derivatives.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Non-Diversification.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Leverage.</em></strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may borrow money for investment purposes. Borrowing for investment purposes is a speculative activity that creates leverage. Leverage will magnify the effect of increases and decreases in prices of portfolio securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.Emerging Markets Debt PortfolioPerformance Information<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time. This performance information does not include the impact of any charges deducted by your insurance company. If it did, returns would be lower. The Portfolio' performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.</font> </p>Annual Total Returns-Calendar Years (Class II) Commenced operations on December 19, 20020.27760.10080.12140.10800.0639-0.14980.30110.09740.06880.1788~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsBarChart20099 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011751Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member row primary compact * ~High Quarter0.11482009-09-30Low Quarter-0.08652008-12-31<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>High Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">07/09 - 09/09</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">11.48%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;"><b>Low Quarter</b></font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="left" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">10/08 - 12/08</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> <td colspan="3" width="0" align="right" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt"> <font style="font-size:6pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica;">&#8211; 8.65%</font> </p> </td> <td colspan="1"> &#160; </td> </tr> </table>0.17880.08870.11020.18540.10470.1156~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualReturnsTransposed20100 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011751Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * row primary compact * ~The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's Class II shares' performance from year-to-year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for the past one, five and 10 year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance over time.The Portfolio' performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Average Annual Total Returns (Class II) (for the calendar periods ended December 31, 2012) Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio (Class II)<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold the classes of shares that may be offered by the Portfolio. The Portfolio does not charge any sales loads or other fees when you purchase or redeem shares. The table and the example below do not reflect the impact of any charges by your insurance company. If they did, Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would be higher.</font> </p>0.00750.00350.00300.0140-0.00300.0110~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpenses20097 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011751Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member row primary compact * ~Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)Example<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio, your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:</font> </p>1123506061340~ http://morganstanley.com/20130411/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposed20098 column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact ck0001011378_C000011751Member column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact ck0001011378_S000004174Member row primary compact * ~Portfolio Turnover<p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio pays transaction costs when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher</font> portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the example, affect Portfolio performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio.</font> </p>0.39Principal Investment Strategies<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in debt securities of issuers located in emerging market or developing countries. This policy may be changed without shareholder approval; however, you would be notified in writing of any changes.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's "Adviser," Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., seeks high total return by investing primarily in fixed income securities of government and government-related issuers and, to a lesser extent, of corporate issuers in emerging market or developing countries. The Portfolio's securities will be denominated primarily in U.S. dollars. The Portfolio may invest, to a lesser extent, in securities denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars. The Portfolio may invest in fixed income securities that are rated below "investment grade" or are not rated, but are of equivalent quality. These fixed income securities are often referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk bonds." High yield securities are fixed income securities rated below Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or below BBB by Standard &amp; Poor's Rating Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&amp;P"), or if unrated considered by the Adviser to be of equivalent quality.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Adviser implements a top down assessment of the global economic environment and the sensitivity of emerging economies in general to worldwide events. In selecting the Portfolio's investments, the Adviser analyzes the ability of an emerging market country's government to formulate and implement fiscal and economic policies; socio-political factors, including political risks, election calendars, human development and social stability; and exchange rate and interest rate valuation.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's holdings may range in maturity from overnight to 30 years or more and will not be subject to any minimum credit rating standard. The Adviser generally considers selling a portfolio holding when it determines that the holding no longer satisfies its investment criteria.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may, but it is not required to, use derivative instruments for a variety of purposes, including hedging, risk management, portfolio management or to earn income. The Portfolio's use of derivatives may involve the purchase and sale of derivative instruments such as futures, options, swaps, structured investments and other related instruments and techniques. The Portfolio may utilize foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are also derivatives, in connection with its investments in foreign securities. The Portfolio may also invest in restricted and illiquid securities. Derivative instruments used by the Portfolio will be counted toward the Portfolio's 80% policy discussed above to the extent they have economic characteristics similar to the securities included within that policy.</font> </p>Objective<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><i>The Portfolio seeks high total return by investing primarily in fixed income securities of government and government-related issuers and, to a lesser extent, of corporate issuers in emerging market countries.</i></font> </p>Principal Risks<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio. The principal risks of investing in the Portfolio include:</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Fixed Income Securities</i></b></font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b>.</b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to price volatility resulting from, among other things, interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). Securities with longer durations are likely to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, generally making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Lower rated fixed income securities have greater volatility because there is less certainty that principal and interest payments will be made as scheduled. Investing in emerging markets intensifies risk, because lower quality fixed income securities are more volatile in price.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>High Yield Securities ("Junk Bonds")</em></strong></font><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong>.</strong></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in high yield securities expose it to a substantial degree of credit risk. Investing in emerging markets intensifies risk, because high yield securities may be more volatile in price in certain environments. High yield securities may be issued by companies that are restructuring, are smaller and less creditworthy or are more highly indebted than other companies, and therefore they may have more difficulty making scheduled payments of principal and interest. High yield securities may experience reduced liquidity, and sudden and substantial decreases in price. An economic downturn affecting an issuer of high yield securities may result in an increased incidence of default. In <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">the event of a default, the Portfolio may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Foreign and Emerging Market Securities</i></b></font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b>.</b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. There also may be greater market volatility, less reliable financial information, higher transaction and custody costs, decreased market liquidity and less government and exchange regulation associated with investments in foreign markets. In addition, investments in certain foreign markets, which have historically been considered stable, may become more volatile and subject to increased risk due to ongoing developments and changing conditions in such markets. Moreover, the growing interconnectivity of global economies and financial markets has increased the probability that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries. In addition, the Portfolio's investments may be denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, to the extent unhedged, the value of the investment will fluctuate with the U.S. dollar exchange rates. To the extent hedged by use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts, the precise matching of foreign currency forward exchange contract amounts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible because the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date on which the contract is entered into and the date it matures. There is additional risk that such transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the currency should move in the direction opposite to the position taken and that foreign currency forward exchange contracts create exposure to currencies in which the Portfolio's securities are not denominated. The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts involves the risk of loss from the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the contract or the failure of the counterparty to make payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the contract.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><strong><em>Liquidity</em></strong></font><font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><em>.</em></font> <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio's investments in restricted and illiquid securities may entail greater risk than investments in publicly traded securities. These securities may be more difficult to sell, particularly in times of market turmoil. Illiquid securities may be more difficult to value. If the Portfolio is forced to sell <font style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">an illiquid security to fund redemptions or for other cash needs, it may be forced to sell the security at a loss.</font><br /> </font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Sovereign Debt Securities.</i></b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Investing in sovereign debt securities will expose the Portfolio to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social or economic changes in the countries that issue the securities. The issuer or governmental authority that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be willing or able to repay the principal and/or pay interest when it becomes due, due to factors such as debt service burden, political constraints, cash flow problems and other national economic factors. In addition, foreign governments may default on their debt securities, which may require holders of such securities to participate in debt rescheduling or additional lending to defaulting governments. Moreover, there is no bankruptcy proceeding by which defaulted sovereign debt may be collected in whole or in part.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Derivatives</i></b></font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b>.</b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">A derivative instrument often has risks similar to its underlying asset and may have additional risks, including imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying asset, risks of default by the counterparty to certain transactions, magnification of losses incurred due to changes in the market value of the securities, instruments, indices or interest rates to which they relate, and risks that the transactions may not be liquid. Certain derivative transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and the risk of loss.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Non-Diversification</i></b></font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b>.</b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">&#8226;</font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b><i>Leverage</i></b></font><font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;"><b>.</b></font> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">The Portfolio may borrow money for investment purposes. Borrowing for investment purposes is a speculative activity that creates leverage. Leverage will magnify the effect of increases and decreases in prices of portfolio securities.</font> </p> <br/><p style="margin:0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;" align="left"> <font style="font-size:10pt; font-family: Times New Roman PS Std, Times New Roman PS, Times New Roman, Times;">Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</font> </p>Because the Portfolio is non-diversified, it may be more susceptible to an adverse event affecting a portfolio investment than a diversified portfolio and a decline in the value of that instrument would cause the Portfolio's overall value to decline to a greater degree.There is no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective and you can lose money investing in this Portfolio.Shares of the Portfolio are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.EX-101.SCH
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ck0001011378-20130411_lab.xml
XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABELS LINKBASE DOCUMENT
Risk/Return:Prospectus:Document TypeDocument Period End DateRegistrant NameCentral Index KeyAmendment FlagDocument Creation DateDocument Effective DateTrading SymbolProspectus DateRisk/Return Summary [Abstract]index_Russell_1000_Growth_IndexRussell 1000® Growth Indexindex_MSCI_Emerging_Markets_Net_IndexMSCI Emerging Markets Net Indexindex_Barclays_Capital_US_Aggregate_IndexBarclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Indexindex_Russell_Midcap_Growth_IndexRussell Midcap® Growth Indexindex_MSCI_World_IndexMSCI World Indexindex_MSCI_All_Country_World_IndexMSCI All Country World Indexindex_Russell_2000_Growth_IndexRussell 2000® Growth Indexindex_SP_500_IndexS&P 500® Indexindex_JP_Morgan_EMBG_IndexJ.P. 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10 Years10 YearsExpense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years10 YearsAnnual Return 1990Annual Return 1991Annual Return 1992Annual Return 1993Annual Return 1994Annual Return 1995Annual Return 1996Annual Return 1997Annual Return 1998Annual Return 1999Annual Return 2000Annual Return 2001Annual Return 2002Annual Return 2003Annual Return 2004Annual Return 2005Annual Return 2006Annual Return 2007Annual Return 2008Annual Return 2009Annual Return 2010Annual Return 2011Annual Return 2012Annual Return 2013Annual Return 2014Annual Return 2015Annual Return 2016Annual Return 2017Annual Return 2018Annual Return 2019Annual Return 20201 YearAverage Annual Returns, Past One Year5 YearsAverage Annual Returns, Past Five Years10 YearsAverage Annual Returns, Past Ten YearsSince InceptionAverage Annual Returns, Since InceptionInception DateAverage Annual Returns, Inception DateAfter Taxes on DistributionsAfter Taxes on DistributionsAfter Taxes on Distributions and SalesAfter Taxes on Distributions and SalesClass 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Fees Column [Text]Shareholder Fees Column [Text]Maximum Cumulative Sales Charge (as a percentage of Offering Price)Maximum Cumulative Sales Charge (as a percentage of Offering Price)Maximum Cumulative Sales Charge (as a percentage)Maximum Cumulative Sales Charge (as a percentage)Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of Offering Price)Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of Offering Price)Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of Offering Price)Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage of Offering Price)Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage)Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage)Maximum Sales Charge on Reinvested Dividends and Distributions (as a percentage)Maximum Sales Charge on Reinvested Dividends and Distributions (as a percentage)Redemption Fee (as a percentage of Amount Redeemed)Redemption Fee (as a percentage of Amount Redeemed)Redemption FeeRedemption FeeExchange Fee (as a percentage of Amount 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